Therapeutic appliance for headache



Dec. 1, 1964' R. R. ULLOM THERAPEUTIC APPLIANCE FOR HEADACHE Filed 001;.29, 1962 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent ice 3,159,160THERAPEUTIC APPLIANCE FOR HEADACHE Robert U lqm, o fo k Va. (4604 BunkerHill Lane, Virginia Beach, Va.) Filed Get. 29, 1962,'Ser. No. 233,536

4- Claims. 01. 12s-97 This invention relates to a therapeutic appliancefor use on a portion of the human body to aid in relieving pain anddiscomfort therefrom by applying pressure, or a combination of presurewith the application of either heat or cold to the affected body area.

More particularly, my invention relates. to an appliance which may bereadily secured to an affected body portion to be worn thereon duringthermal and/or Pressure treatment.

My appliance finds particularly utility and maximum benefit in thetreatment of headaches or related head discomforts. Many people sufferfrom various types of headaches causing undue discomfort and pain.Attempted prior headache remedies have been taken internally and/or usedexternally for the relief of pain, of which some have been slightlyeffective while others have been only placebos or psychilogicalremedies.

Among headache types are migraine, sinus, tension, histamine and thosecaused by overindulgence in alcohol, of which certain may be treated byuse of heat, while others may be relieved by cold applications and stillothers by use of pressure applied for sustained periods of time to thehead region where the pain exists. I have found that a combination ofboth pressure and thermal treatment, either heat or cold, can be mosteffective to bring marked relief from the, pain in a short period oftime.

Therefore, a principal object of my invention is to provide a simple andyet highly effective therapeutic device whereby constant predeterminedpressure may be applied by the user to the region of pain, along withthermal treatment, if desired.

Further, my invention contemplates providing means whereby the patientmay apply pressure to the affected locale of pain in a novel andefiicient manner and wherein either heat or cold may also. be providedin an appliance which is secured in encircling relation to the affectedbody portion.

A further object of my invention is to provide a versatile appliancethat. may be folded into a relatively small package or hung up. on ahanger when not in use. Still further, this device may be made ofinexpensive broadcloth or any other material which is flexible, such asplastic, that will not irritate the skin when in snug contact therewith.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of my therapeutic device as applied to thehead.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the device taken on line 33 of FIG. 2.

The therapeutic appliance comprises an elongated strip or band-likemember 12 made from broadcloth or other suitable fabric. The ends of thestrip 12 are provided with adjustable securing means such as snapfasteners 14, whereby the strip may be connected to form a loop, FIG. 2,of a perimeter sufficient to loosely encircle the head or other bodymember. After locating the loop over the head as in FIG. 1, or aroundsome other body member, the band can be tensioned or be made taut aswill be shown hereinafter.

Due to the several sets of snap fasteners 14 provided,

3,159,160 Patented Dec. 1, 1964 the appliance 10 may be adjusted for useon variously sized head, limb or body members afilicted by pain.

A strip 16 forming an elongated pocket is secured to strip 12 on theexterior thereof by means of stitching 13 or other means such as snapfasteners, the pocket thus formed. receiving a flexible, elongated waterbottle 18, The strip 16 may be made of the same material as the band.The water bottle pocket is of substantial length, preferably a minimumof one-half the perimeter of the loop 12, as seen i1 FIG. 3, Thus thewater bottle 18 may be slidably positioned in the elongated pocket atthe locale where greatest relief is attained, without first looseningand reorienting or repositioning the loop 12 itself.

Further, the strip, 16 is of substantially greater length than theunderlying portion of the band 12 to thereby provide a relatively looseor bulky pocket. In this manner, repositioning of the water bottle, orremoval thereof for recharge, is readily effected.

An essential feature of the instant invention resides in the provisionof a second exterior pocket 20, also secured to band 12 by stitching orother suitable means and having an opening covered by flap 22 which issimilarly attached to band 12. Flap 22 may be fastened to the pocket bysnaps 24 or a zipper. Arr inflatable member such as an elongated air bag26 is received within the pocket 20. As best seen in FIG. 3, attached toand depending from air bag 26 is a base 28 having at the remote endthereof a squeeze ball air pump 30. A conventional finger-actuatedrelease valve 32 is provided adjacent squeeze ball 30 so that the wearermay release or decrease the air pressure instantaneously when desired.

Disposed adjacent pocket 20 is a snap-secured strap 34, one end of whichis secured by stitching to band 12. Thus, the portion of hose 28adjacent squeeze ball 30 may be placed beneath strap 34, the latter thenbeing snap secured thereover to thereby elevate and support the hose andball adjacent the loop 12, whereby the ball will not dangle freely fromthe head band. While the ball 30, normally presents no problem, when theloop 12 is reoriented through substantially from the positionillustrated to thereby locate the water bottle 18 adjacent the rear ofthe head, it becomes preferable to secure the ball and hose as describedso as not to impair the vision or otherwise discomfort the wearer with adepending air tube immediately before his vision.

It will be noted that if the band becomes dirty the air bag 26 andattached hose, and the water bottle 18 may be readily removed thusfacilitating Washing of the band 12. A detachable connection 36 may beprovided between the hose 28 and bag 26.

In use, a person encircles the head or other body portion with the band12 and snap fastens the opposite ends together in loose fittingengagement therearound. The closure 22 of the bag pocket is secured, andair bulb 30 is then repeatedly squeezed so as to pump air into the airbag 26 to inflate the same.

It will be seen that as air bag 26 inflates, the strip 20 forming thepocket is urged outwardly. As the opposite ends of strip 20 are stitchedor otherwise secured to band 12 on either side of air bag 26, the band12 is drawn snugly and uniformly about the users head and exertsreliefgiving pressure thereon. The amount of band tension pressure isdependent upon the amount of air bag inflation imparted thereto by theuserand may be varied at will in seeking maximum relief from headache orother pains. The air bag 26 may be quickly deflated by the user bymanual actuation of valve 32 associated with the squeeze ball. Shouldthe user wish to apply either heat or cold to the afiiicted area, theelongated water bottle 18 is placed into pocket 16. Should the waterbottle need recharging anytime during the treatment, the user need onlyremove airbag 26 or the tension on strap 12, the strip 16 forming thewater bottle pocket is not under tension, but remains relatively loose.Thus, the water bottle 18 may be shifted as desired within the elongatedpocket to bring the thermal treatment to the desired portion of thehead. For a major relocation of the water bottle relative to the head,the air bag may be quickly deflated by valve 32 and the appliancerotated sufliciently to locate the bottle 18 properly. The air bag 26 isthen easily and quickly inflated to provide the desired degree ofpressure. Upon completion of the deflate the bag, and removes the bandfrom the head. The treatment, the user simply actuates the air valve 32to band, bag and water bottle may then be. folded into a compact packageand stored, or, if the user wishes, he may hang the appliance by meansof tab 34 on a clothes hanger.

7 Without departing from the scope of the invention, this head band maybe made with an electric heating-pad attached thereto, or wherein thepocket 16 is constructed to receive an electric heating pad. It will beapparent from the foregoing that while I have illustrated and describedmy appliance in connection with the treatment and relief of headaches,it is obvious that my appliance may also be employed to aid in therelief of many ailments, such as muscle strains in the limbs, orafiiictions of knees and thighs or any other body portion which may beencircled by my appliance, without modification of the appliance as toform and operation.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be.apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention or sacrificing any of its material advantages.

What I claim is:

1. A therapeutic appliance for relieving body member discomtortscomprising, i

an elongated strip of substantially inelastic material provided withmeans for adjustably and detachably securing the ends of the strip toform a loop for loosely encircling the body member,

a second strip of like material loosely overlying a minor externalportion of said loop and secured thereto at its'ends and partially alongthe lower edge thereof to definea pocket,

means removably disposed within said pocket for exerting outwardpressure on said second strip to thereby uniformly tension the portionof said elongated strip when encircled about said body member, and forexerting inward pressure on the portion ofsaid elongated stripunderlying said second strip to thereby constrict and presssaid loopabout said body memher,

and a third strip of material overlying a separate external portion ofsaid loop and secured thereto to define an elongated pocket forreceiving a thermal applicator therein, whereby thermal treatment may beapplied to said body member simultaneously with constriction of saidloop thereabout.

2. A therapeutic appliance for a body member comprising:

an elongated strip of flexible substantially inelastic material, meansfor detachably securing the ends of said strip to form an encirclingband for enclosing a body member,

said band having means on the exterior thereof forming an elongatedpocket for receiving a thermal applicator in any one of a plurality oflocations along said band and within said pocket whereby said thermalapplicator may be positionedin a desired peripheral relation to the bodymember,

an inflatable element for constricting said band substantially uniformlyabout said body member to exert a predetermined pressure thereon, tothereby simultaneously apply both a localized thermal treatment and aperipheral pressure treatment to the body member,

means connecting said inflatable element to said band to tension saidband as said element inflates,

and means for inflating and deflating said element.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said third strip of material overlies amajor external portion of said loop whereby a thermal applicatorreceived therein may be positioned in any one of a plurality oflocations within said pocket and in desired peripheral relation to thebody member.

4. The appliance of claim 1 wherein said pressure means includes aninflatable element having a pump device a for inflating and deflatingthe same.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Brown 128ll8RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner. JORDAN FRANKLIN, Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 159160 December 1 1964 Robert R0 Ullom It is hereby certified that errorappears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that thesaid Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 1, line 24, for "psychilogieal" read psychological column 3 lines16 and 17 strike out "def-late the bag, and removes the band from thehead. The treatment the user simply actuates the air valve 32 to" andinsert instead treatment, the user simply actuates the air valve 32 todeflate the bag, and removes the: band from the head, The

Signed and sealed this 6th day of April 1965,

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner ofPatents

1. A THERAPEUTIC APPLIANCE FOR RELIEVING BODY MEMBER DISCOMFORTSCOMPRISING, AN ELONGATED STRIP OF SUBSTANTIALLY INELASTIC MATERIALPROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLY AND DETACHABLY SECURING THE ENDS OFTHE STRIP TO FORM A LOOP FOR LOOSELY ENCIRCLING THE BODY MEMBER, ASECOND STRIP OF LIKE MATERIAL LOOSEL OVERLYING A MINOR EXTERNAL PORTIONOF SAID LOOP AND SECURED THERETO AT ITS ENDS AND PARTIALLY ALONG THELOWER EDGE THEREOF TO DEFINE A POCKET, MEANS REMOVABLY DISPOSED WITHINSAID POCKET FOR EXERTING OUTWARD PRESSURE ON SAID SECOND STRIP TOTHEREBY UNIFORMLY TENSION THE PORTION OF SAID ELONGATED STRIP WHENENCIRCLED ABOUT SAID BODY MEMBER, AND FOR EXERTING INWARD PRESSURE ONTHE PORTION OF SAID ELONGATED STRIP UNDERLYING SAID SECOND STRIP TOTHEREBY CONSTRICT AND PRESS SAID LOOP ABOUT BODY MEMBER, AND A THIRDSTRIP OF MATERIAL OVERLYING A SEPARATE EXTERNAL PORTION OF SAID LOOP ANDSECURED THERETO TO DEFINE AN ELONGATED POCKET FOR RECEIVING A THERMALAPPLICATOR THEREIN, WHEREBY THERMAL TREATMENT MAY BE APPLIED TO SAIDBODY MEMBER SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH CONSTRUCTION OF SAID LOOP THEREABOUT.